| Erie Otters | |
|---|---|
| City | Erie, Pennsylvania |
| League | Ontario Hockey League |
| Conference | Western |
| Division | Midwest |
| Founded | 1996–97 |
| Home arena | Louis J. Tullio Arena |
| Colours |
Navy blue, red, yellow and gold |
| General manager | Sherwood Bassin |
| Head coach | Robbie Ftorek |
| Affiliate(s) | Huntsville-Muskoka Otters |
|
Website www.ottershockey.com |
|
| Franchise history | |
| 1946–53 | Windsor Spitfires |
| 1953–60 | Hamilton Tiger Cubs |
| 1960–74 | Hamilton Red Wings |
| 1974–76 | Hamilton Fincups |
| 1976–77 | St. Catharines Fincups |
| 1977–78 | Hamilton Fincups |
| 1978–84 | Brantford Alexanders |
| 1984–88 | Hamilton Steelhawks |
| 1988–96 | Niagara Falls Thunder |
| 1996–present | Erie Otters |
The Erie Otters are a major junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). Based in Erie, Pennsylvania, USA, they have played their home games at the Louis J. Tullio Arena since 1996. The Otters are the only Pennsylvania-based team in the OHL and one of only three United States-based teams in the league.
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The Niagara Falls Thunder relocated from Niagara Falls, Ontario to Erie in 1996, becoming the Erie Otters. The team takes its name from the otter, a water creature common to the south shore of Lake Erie.
The Otters' ownership partners are Ron Sertz, Jeff Fatica, and Ray Irwin. Sherwood Bassin is the general manager and a managing partner of the team. Walt Wingfield serves as head scout.
The first three years in Erie were building years for the Otters, with the team eliminated in the first round of the playoffs each year. In the fourth year, all the hard work paid off with their first Midwest Division championship.
It would be their first of three consecutive Midwest Division championships for the Otters, culminating in an OHL Championship in 2001–02. Dave MacQueen won the Matt Leyden Trophy in 2000–01 as the OHL Coach of the Year. Sherwood Bassin was awarded OHL Executive of the Year in 2001–02 for his role in building a championship team as general manager.
The Erie Otters celebrated their 10th anniversary in the 2005–06 season.
Controversy struck the Otters on October 31, 2009, when forward Michael Liambas delivered a highly controversial and devastating check to opposing sixteen-year-old defenceman Ben Fanelli. As Liambas checked Fanelli into the boards behind the Rangers net, Fanelli's head hit a metal partition in the glass, breaking and knocking off his helmet.[1][2] Fanelli lay unconscious while twitching and foaming at the mouth before being rushed to hospital in critical condition with skull and orbital bone fractures.[1][3] OHL commissioner David Branch suspended Liambas for the remainder of the regular season and the playoffs, citing the speed and distance to which Liambas skated to deliver the check, as well as the severity of Fanelli's injuries. He commented that the suspension was responding to a "need to take strong steps to ... send out the message to all our players and minor hockey players that we have to be ... more respectful of our opponent."[2] Otters general manager Sherwood Bassin was quick to come to Liambas' defense following the suspension, expressing surprise with the severity of the penalty from Branch. Bassin asserted that Liambas was not simply a "goofball kid", citing his 95 percent average in high school, as well as volunteer work in initiating a stay-in-school program for kids and at the Shriners Hospital for Children in Erie.[2]
The Otters celebrated their 1000th regular season game in franchise history on February 5, 2011 with an 8-2 win against the Windsor Spitfires in front of a crowd of 5,417 at Louis J. Tullio Arena.
In the 2001–02 season, the Erie Otters became the second OHL team based in the United States to win the OHL Championship. The first were the 1995 champions Detroit Junior Red Wings (now the Plymouth Whalers).
After a disappointing conference finals loss to Plymouth the previous year, the Otters used their experience and work ethic to push themselves through the playoffs. Otters players had a puck holder hung on the wall of the dressing room with 16 slots to fill, equal to the number of wins needed for the title. Erie earned that 16th puck by defeating the Barrie Colts in game 5 of the 2002 finals on an overtime goal by 15-year-old Sean Courtney.
The Otters bid to host the 2002 Memorial Cup, but the Guelph Storm were chosen instead. Erie earned a berth in the tournament as OHL Champions but ultimately finished in third place.
Two-time OHL MVP Brad Boyes led the Otters as captain. Team members for the 2002 championship were:
Dave MacQueen won the Matt Leyden Trophy in 2000–01 as the OHL Coach of the Year.
Multiple years in parentheses
A total of 21 players have been selected at the National Hockey League Entry Draft since the franchise relocated to Erie, including a five-year stretch from 1997–2001 in which seven members of the team were selected in the first round: (1997 Jason Ward, 11th, Montreal Canadiens; 1998 Michael Rupp, ninth, New York Islanders; 1999 Tim Connolly, fifth, New York Islanders; 2000 Nikita Alexeev, eighth, Tampa Bay Lightning; Brad Boyes, 24th, Toronto Maple Leafs; 2001 Carlo Colaiacovo, 17th, Toronto Maple Leafs; and Adam Munro, 29th, Chicago Blackhawks).
Updated March 14, 2011
| Goaltenders | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | Player | Catches | Acquired | NHL rights | Place of birth | |
| 29 | Christopher Festarini | R | 2009 OHL Draft | Eligible in 2011 | Oakville, Ontario | |
| 33 | Ramis Sadikov | R | 2009 CHL Import Draft | Free Agent | Moscow, Russia | |
| Defencemen | ||||||
| Number | Player | Shoots | Acquired | NHL rights | Place of birth | |
| 3 | Brett Cook | L | 2007 OHL Draft | Free Agent | Orillia, Ontario | |
| 5 | David Shields | R | 2007 OHL Draft | STL 2009 NHL Draft | Rochester, New York | |
| 7 | Brady Austin | L | 2009 OHL Draft | Eligible in 2011 | Bobcaygeon, ON | |
| 10 | Tyler Hostetter | R | 2007 OHL Draft | PHI 2009 as a Free Agent | Lititz, PA | |
| 15 | Mark Gazdic | R | 2009 OHL Draft | Eligible in 2011 | Toronto, Ontario | |
| 26 | Derek Holden | L | Trade PBO 2009 | Free Agent | Peterborough, Ontario | |
| 27 | Adam Pelech | L | 2010 OHL Draft | Eligible in 2012 | Toronto, Ontario | |
| 32 | Kris Grant | L | 2009 OHL Draft | Eligible in 2011 | Kingston, Ontario | |
| Forwards | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number | Player | Shoots | Position | Acquired | NHL rights | Place of birth | |
| 6 | Mac McDonnell | R | RW | Free Agent (2010) | Free Agent | Allen Park, Michigan | |
| 8 | Brett Appio | L | LW | Trade SAR 2010 | Eligible in 2011 | Bolton, ON | |
| 9 | Chris Marchese | L | RW | 2010 OHL Draft | Eligible in 2013 | Woodbridge, Ontario | |
| 11 | Anthony Luciani (OA) | R | RW | 2006 OHL Draft | FLA 2011 as a Free Agent | Maple, ON | |
| 12 | Andrew Yogan | L | C | Trade WSR 2008 | NYR 2010 NHL Draft | Boca Raton, Florida | |
| 13 | Mike Cazzola | L | C | 2007 OHL Draft | Eligible in 2011 | Guelph, Ontario | |
| 14 | Greg McKegg | L | C | 2008 OHL Draft | TOR 2010 NHL Draft | St. Thomas, Ontario | |
| 19 | Shawn Szydlowski (OA) | R | RW | 2006 OHL Draft | Free Agent | St. Clair Shores, Michigan | |
| 22 | Phil Varone (OA) | L | C | Trade LDN 2010 | SJ 2009 NHL Draft | Vaughan, Ontario | |
| 23 | Connor Crisp | L | C | 2010 OHL Draft | Eligible in 2013 | Alliston, Ontario | |
| 28 | Brett Thompson | R | C | Trade SSM 2011 | Eligible 2011 | Sault Ste. Marie, ON | |
| 37 | Matthew Paton | RW | L | 2007 OHL Draft | Eligible in 2011 | Woodstock, ON | |
| 40 | Luke Cairns | L | C | 2010 OHL Draft | Eligible in 2012 | Stoney Creek, Ontario | |
Note: (OA) = Overage player
| Team records for a single season | ||
| Statistic | Total | Season |
|---|---|---|
| Most points | 102 | 2000–01 |
| Most wins | 45 | 2000–01 |
| Most goals for | 281 | 2010–11 |
| Least goals for | 181 | 2002–03 |
| Least goals against | 171 | 2000–01 |
| Most goals against | 378 | 2006–07 |
| Individual player records for a single season | |||
| Statistic | Player | Total | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Most goals | Cory Pecker | 53 | 2001–02 |
| Most assists | Zack Torquato | 62 | 2009–10 |
| Most points | Cory Pecker | 99 | 2001–02 |
| Most points, rookie | Tim Connolly | 62 | 1997–98 |
| Most points, defenceman | Chris Campoli | 66 | 2003–04 |
| Best GAA (goalie) | Adam Munro | 2.31 | 2000–01 |
| Goalies = minimum 1500 minutes played | |||
Legend: OTL = Overtime loss, SL = Shootout loss
| Season | Games | Won | Lost | Tied | OTL | SL | Points | Pct % | Goals For |
Goals Against |
Standing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996–97 | 66 | 23 | 36 | 7 | - | - | 53 | 0.402 | 240 | 260 | 5th Central |
| 1997–98 | 66 | 33 | 28 | 5 | - | - | 71 | 0.538 | 261 | 252 | 4th Central |
| 1998–99 | 68 | 31 | 33 | 4 | - | - | 66 | 0.485 | 271 | 297 | 3rd Midwest |
| 1999–2000 | 68 | 33 | 28 | 4 | 3 | - | 73 | 0.515 | 224 | 229 | 1st Midwest |
| 2000–01 | 68 | 45 | 11 | 10 | 2 | - | 102 | 0.735 | 264 | 171 | 1st Midwest |
| 2001–02 | 68 | 41 | 22 | 4 | 1 | - | 87 | 0.632 | 246 | 218 | 1st Midwest |
| 2002–03 | 68 | 24 | 35 | 6 | 3 | - | 57 | 0.397 | 181 | 248 | 5th Midwest |
| 2003–04 | 68 | 29 | 26 | 6 | 7 | - | 71 | 0.471 | 221 | 212 | 5th Midwest |
| 2004–05 | 68 | 31 | 26 | 6 | 5 | - | 73 | 0.500 | 186 | 207 | 4th Midwest |
| 2005–06 | 68 | 26 | 35 | - | 4 | 3 | 59 | 0.434 | 219 | 266 | 5th Midwest |
| 2006–07 | 68 | 15 | 50 | - | 1 | 2 | 33 | 0.243 | 209 | 378 | 5th Midwest |
| 2007–08 | 68 | 18 | 46 | - | 2 | 2 | 40 | 0.294 | 206 | 343 | 5th Midwest |
| 2008–09 | 68 | 34 | 29 | - | 3 | 2 | 73 | 0.537 | 208 | 254 | 3rd Midwest |
| 2009–10 | 68 | 33 | 28 | - | 5 | 2 | 73 | 0.537 | 257 | 259 | 4th Midwest |
| 2010–11 | 68 | 40 | 26 | - | 1 | 1 | 82 | 0.603 | 281 | 229 | 3rd Midwest |
| Total: | 1016 | 456 | 459 | 52 | 37 | 12 | 1012 | - | 3474 | 3823 | - |
The team mascot is an anthropomorphic otter named Shooter, who wears a home jersey. The Otters home uniforms have a navy blue background; the road uniforms have a white background. Both have red, yellow and gold trim. The logo is an angry otter with a hockey stick. The team changes their color after the annual Christmas break in the league. It is a league wide tradition teams go from wearing their home whites to their home colors.
For the 2005–06 season (the team's 10th/Diamond Anniversary), the Otters unveiled a third jersey as part of the "Make Other Teams Bleed" campaign. The jersey has a red background with navy blue, white and gold trim. The third logo has "Erie" in big letters across the chest with "Otters" written beneath it.
In honor of the Erie Otters 1000th game on February 5, 2011, the Erie Otters wore yellow jerseys with Erie emblazoned across the chest in blue, with red and blue stripes on the sleeves and on the bottom of the jerseys.
The Erie Otters play home games at the Louis J. Tullio Arena located in downtown Erie, Pennsylvania. The arena was built in 1983 and seats 5,500 spectators. The Tullio arena is one of the loudest in the league and works well for home ice advantage. The arena is part of the Erie Civic Center Complex, which includes Jerry Uht Park—a baseball stadium and home to the AA Erie SeaWolves.
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